Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between 3d animators and interactive designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a 3d animator, becoming an interactive designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an interactive designer has an average salary of $97,929, which is higher than the $73,596 average annual salary of a 3d animator.
The top three skills for a 3d animator include animation, storyboards and visualization. The most important skills for an interactive designer are sketch, user experience, and UI.
| 3D Animator | Interactive Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $73,596 | $97,929 |
| Hourly rate | $35.38 | $47.08 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 571 | 48,136 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
A 3D animator specializes in designing and developing 3D animation materials, adhering to the program or project's needs. They typically work together with a team of animators and producers in studios or offices. Most of the time, their responsibilities involve performing extensive research, creating drafts and storyboards, consulting with team members and editors, and performing revisions as needed. Furthermore, as a 3D animator, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with staff for a smooth and efficient workflow.
An Interactive Designer takes the business product and transforms it into a product that the user interacts with perfectly. They support engineering efforts to develop designs and get the details right.
3d animators and interactive designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| 3D Animator | Interactive Designer | |
| Average salary | $73,596 | $97,929 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $108,000 | Between $67,000 And $141,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | California |
| Best paying company | NVIDIA | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Media | Technology |
There are a few differences between a 3d animator and an interactive designer in terms of educational background:
| 3D Animator | Interactive Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Animation | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between 3d animators' and interactive designers' demographics:
| 3D Animator | Interactive Designer | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% | Male, 66.8% Female, 33.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 7.6% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 13% |